Next week we will be enjoying the 3rd International Conference on Best Practices in World Heritage: Integral Actions but now we want to introduce you to Elena Molina, a post-doc researcher working on cultural heritage, archaeological heritage particularly and education.

After completing her PhD at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Bioarchaeology, she has been working on sampling and analysing Organic Residues on archaeological artefacts and their context. Yet, she has also started a new research line combining education and cultural heritage. This line aimed at promoting education for sustainable development, paying particular attention to the role of cultural heritage in this endeavour.

Her case study is the city of Barcelona, where we can find the fine works of Antoni Gaudí designated as World Heritage. In Molina's view, the future of heritage research goes through investing in sustainable education. Ther…

This post intends to focus on Persian Calendar. Registered on national heritage and the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list, Nowruz celebration, is the most extremely important festival in Iran. Nowruz has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years and is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian religion. Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of Iranian religions, such as Mitraism and Zoroastrianism. In Mitraism, festivals had a deep linkage with the sun's light. The Iranian festivals such as Mehrgan (autumnal equinox), Tirgan, and the eve of Chelleye Zemestan (winter solstice) also had an origin in the Sun god (Surya). Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic religion that emphasizes broad concepts such as the corresponding work of good and evil in the world, and the connection of humans to nature. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of ancient Iran. Nowruz celebration commences from the first day of spring, t…